Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: At the theatre
Girlfriend band rocks Lisa Kron's birthday and night/OUT!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 20, 2010
in At the theatre , Events
Is it luck or is it fate? Tonight, Thursday, May 20, is our final night/OUT post-show party of the season (if you don't know, night/OUT is a festive frolic for the LGBT community featuring free wine from Raymond, beer from Triple Rock, and tasty bites from Tomatina).
And today just happens to be the birthday of Lisa Kron, playwright of the world-premiere drama In the Wake.
To help Lisa celebrate her 49th, the night/OUT soiree will have four very special guests: the all-girl band from Girlfriend! Yes, Julie Wolf, Shelley Doty, Jean DuSablon, and ieela Grant are reuniting to rock the house. This is one night/OUT birthday bash you won't want to miss.
In the Wake starts at 8pm in the Roda Theatre, and the night/OUT party is immediately after in the lobby and the courtyard.
Visit our online box office for information or call 510 647-2949.
Above photo: The Girlfriend band (from left) Shelley Doty, Jean DuSablon, ieela Grant, and Julie Wolf. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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Wake actors celebrated in New York
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, May 19, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
We love actors, especially those who do such phenomenal work here at Berkeley Rep, so it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the accomplishments of two actors currently performing in the world premiere of Lisa Kron's In the Wake (which just happens to open tonight in the Roda Theatre).
The Obie Awards, presented by The Village Voice to honor off-Broadway theatre, were handed out Monday, and Deirdre O'Connell, who plays Judy in In the Wake, and Heidi Schreck, who plays Ellen, were both recognized with an Obie for Best Ensemble in the Playwrights Horizons production Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker.
Deirdre and Heidi were part of an ensemble that also included Reed Birney, Tracee Chimo, and Peter Friedman. Annie Baker received an Obie for Best New American Play, which she shared with herself for The Aliens, currently at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.
Congratulations to Deirdre and Heidi!
Photo: Deirdre O'Connell (left) is Judy and Heidi Schreck is Ellen in the world-premiere production of In the Wake by Lisa Kron. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com
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Lisa Kron talks to the Chron
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, May 17, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
Lisa Kron, the playwright behind the world-premiere drama In the Wake, sat down for a chat with the San Francisco Chronicle's Steven Winn.
In the interview, Lisa talks about her evolution as a theatre artist, from working with the Five Lesbian Brothers to her acclaimed solo work (2.5 Minute Ride, 101 Humiliating Stories) to her emergence as an acclaimed playwright (Well and now In the Wake).
With In the Wake, Lisa is, for the first time, not performing in her own work. She told Steven, "I'm not the right actress for any of the parts. Plus I'm too old." Lisa, we might add, turns 49 this week.
Now in previews and opening Wednesday in the Roda Theatre, In the Wake is set during the George W. Bush years and focuses on a tight group of New York friends.
Here's how Lisa described the genesis of the play:
"We've been in profound flux," said Kron, who started In the Wake when Bush was still in office. "These have been scary times - and gold for playwrights. Like everyone else, I was ranting my way through the Bush administration, and also getting fixated on certain ideas about the left. I guess the central question, which is also present in Well, is why we believe that things are always going to right themselves. Why do we believe we can only fall so far?"
In the Wake previews May 18, opens May 19, and continues through June 27. For information visit our online box office or call 510 647-2949. Hours are noon to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday.
Above: Lisa Kron photo by Joan Marcus.
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Fireworks flash! John Leguizamo joins summer festival!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 7, 2010
in At the theatre , News
You've seen him in movies like William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Summer of Sam. Now you can see Emmy and Obie Award-winner John Leguizamo on Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage as part of this summer's Fireworks festival.
We are thrilled to announce that John Leguizamo's solo show Klass Klown joins the Fireworks display June 1 through 12. Tickets are $35 and go on sale today. The performance schedule is
- Tuesdays at 8pm
- Wednesdays at 7pm
- Thursday-Saturdays at 8pm
- Sunday at 7pm
Here's a Fireworks flash: audiences can enjoy a free tasting of Tres Agaves Tequila an hour before every performance of Klass Klown!
And now a message from John Leguizamo himself: "Yo, wat up my peoples? Wat's crackin'? Me that's what. I'm coming to town with the latest installment of Leguizamomania! This one is for the ages — don't miss it. Help me help you get some anti-recession and anti-depression hilarity."
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See Ryder Bach's Body Parts live at Berkeley Rep!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, May 6, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , Events
The Body Parts are an LA-based band helmed by Ryder Bach, a San Jose native, who plays Will in Berkeley Rep’s hit musical Girlfriend. Ryder sat down with Literary/Dramaturgy Fellow Rachel Viola to talk about his band, which will be playing live following the 7pm performance of Girlfriend this Sunday, May 9. It’s Mother’s Day, so bring your mom!
Rachel Viola: Hello, Ryder! Will you tell us about The Body Parts, please?
Ryder Bach: There are five of us right now. Chris Votek plays bass, Marie Ishikawa plays drums, and then we have two singers, Matt Sobel and Alina Cutrono. I play guitar and sing most of the lead parts. Matt and I were in a band before called, Get In More Fights.
RV: Called what?
RB: Get In More Fights, like something you would find on a Post-it note. That band was very folk-y. It had some violin and acoustic guitar, but because of some personal difficulties, that band broke up. So I started The Body Parts to sort of keep the things I liked about the old band but set them more in an upbeat rock band setting.
RV: So, you’re in Girlfriend and you play in this band, and what I’m curious about is, have music and theater always been intertwined for you?
RB: I started out singing in my dad’s bands, because my dad was a bass player, and he played with like, Johnny Mathis and crazy funk players in the ’80s . . . so I would sing in his band as a kid, and then when high school started, I started doing theatre, and I did pretty well, and then moved down to LA to do the acting-career thing, which can be very frustrating. So I started the band to sort of have a place where I can put my, I don’t know, artistic convictions?
RV: Do you find that one feeds the other?
RB: If things are going well, then yes. Acting can get frustrating for me sometimes, and music is where I can put all my frustration, so the songs end up being about things like, you know, people not understanding you, or the difficulties of meeting people for the first time, and first impressions. I think about that: the way you perceive other people, and the way people perceive you, you know? As opposed to the way you actually are.
RV: Which is a super-interesting thing to think about, especially if you’re auditioning all the time.
RB: Exactly. It’s really all about how someone perceives you versus how you are, you know? Especially with Facebook and stuff and how the way you set up yourself is almost inseparable from who you actually are now.
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Girlfriend resonates with teens at the student matinee
posted by Lizz Guzman on Wed, May 5, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz , School of Theatre
"Authentic, intimate, and romantic” is how the San Francisco Chronicle described Girlfriend at Berkeley Rep. And this was the show to which we were expecting a large group of high school students for the student matinee on April 29.
Berkeley Rep’s student matinees are a rare opportunity for high-school and middle-school teachers to expose their students to theatre and to the transformative power of art. Our hope at the School of Theatre is that the matinee serves as a memorable, educational, and fun theatre experience for all involved.
As the rest of the School of Theatre staff and I donned our nametags and took our positions a little before noon, I wondered what the audience response would be. I scanned the faces of the students as they arrived, but I could not read the energy of this crowd. How would these teens handle the sensitive subject matter and tenderness of the story?
As the house lights went down and the band picked up, I held my breath.
The reactions of the audience quickly put my mind at ease. It became clear as the show went on that the group really related to the awkwardness of first love and the challenges of being different. Every uncomfortable silence and rambling conversation was greeted with a knowing laugh. It seemed like this audience had a more profound connection and empathetic understanding of the situations and emotions in the play.
Were there uneasy giggles? Sure. Soon, however, the laughter and the chatter faded away. I could feel the nervous energy in the theatre turn to focused concentration. The teens seemed to be as moved by the tenderness and sweetness of the scene as I was. At the end of Act 1 when Mike leans in to kiss Will, the entire audience held its collective breath in anticipation. When the two actors finally kissed, the theatre erupted into cheers and screams, students and teachers alike on their feet. My skin prickled with goosebumps as the ovation continued. And continued. The actors and band had to finish the song above the applause that continued until the house lights came up for intermission.
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Sweet! Take a look at Girlfriend, our latest hit
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, Apr 29, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
Now that the world-premiere rock musical Girlfriend has extended its run through May 16 at Berkeley Rep, we invite you to take a sneak peek at the show. The show, starring Jason Hite (pictured above at left) and Ryder Bach), features songs from Matthew Sweet's classic album Girlfriend as well as a couple songs from Matthew's Altered Beast and 100% Fun.
News flash! Jason, Ryder, and the band will perform songs from the show this Saturday (May 1) on West Coast Live. The show begins at 10 a.m. on NPR stations including KALW 91.7 FM. The show is being broadcast from Freight & Salvage Coffee House, just across Addison Street from Berkeley Rep.
Another news flash! Amoeba Music is giving away tickets to Girlfriend on May 5 and 6. Enter at either the Berkeley or San Francisco stores. Find more information.
There are so many great things about the Girlfriend, but we have to give a special shout out to the four women in the onstage band. Music director Julie Wolf (who also plays rhythm guitar and keyboard and provides backup vocals) has collaborated and toured with the likes of the Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, and Sia, among many others. Lead guitar and backing vocalist Shelley Doty has several bands, including Clair, Shelley Doty X-tet, and Sistas in the Pit. Bassist Jean DuSablon is in Clair as well, and drummer ieela Grant founded Sistas in the Pit, one of the Bay Area's great power trios.
You don't really see the amazing women of the band in this video, but you can hear them! Enjoy.
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Girlfriend extends through May 16!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, Apr 23, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
Critics and audiences are in love with Berkeley Rep's new Girlfriend, and now this world-premiere musical event is extending for one week, through May 16! Tickets go on sale today!
Added performances are
- Thursday, May 13 at 8pm
- Friday, May 14 at 8pm
- Saturday, May 15 at 5pm & 9pm
- Sunday, May 16 at 7pm
Visit our online box office or call the box office at 510 647-2949 to order your tickets today! Box office hours are noon to 7pm Tuesday-Sunday.
Critics have been writing love notes to Girlfriend, which features music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet and a book by Todd Almond. The San Francisco Chronicle calls the show "an exhilarating joy," while the San Jose Mercury News describes it as "a delicate gem." The San Francisco Examiner raves, "A rare treat—authentic, intimate and romantic, and, as the ‘I’ve Been Waiting’ lyric goes, ‘perfect in so many ways.’"
And the great reviews just keep coming. Here are a few more.
Above photo: Jason Hite (left) and Ryder Bach in the world-premiere musical Girlfriend at Berkeley Rep. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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Great Girlfriend coverage in the LA Times
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, Apr 19, 2010
in At the theatre
A fantastic feature about the creation of Girlfriend appeared over the weekend in the Los Angeles Times. Read the story.
Writer John Horn spent time in the rehearsal hall and interviewed director Les Waters, playwright Todd Almond, and composer Matthew Sweet.
Talking to Todd about how he took a favorite album of his youth, Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend, John writes: "Almond says he designed the show so that audience understands the loneliness of being gay and alone. 'I want those boys to feel isolated, like I did,' he says. And yet Sweet's music gives them (just as it did for Almond) hope."
John's story captures Matthew Sweet's reaction to the show as well: "I thought it was really cool — to show how they are trying to put across all of these feelings in a sideways way," Sweet says. "I wanted the album to be really universal. The songs were very personal to me, but it makes me proud and makes me glad that other people could relate to it. That somebody who is gay could relate it — that's fantastic."
Charles McNulty reviewed the production for the Times. Read his review.
Here's a sampling:
High schoolers have a knack for turning even banal occasions into karaoke moments, which is why Will and Mike’s eruptions seem perfectly natural. Granted, most such spontaneous outpourings aren’t backed by a band as hard-charging as the all-female one led by musical director Julie Wolf that accompanies the boys, but the effect of hearing “I’ve Been Waiting” and “You Don’t Love Me” will bring you back to your own awkward age, even if this is your first encounter with Sweet’s accessible sound.
Above photo: Girlfriend director Les Waters and playwright Todd Almond. Photo courtesy of Robert Durrell for the Los Angeles Times.
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Critics have a crush on our Girlfriend!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, Apr 16, 2010
in At the theatre
Here at the Theatre, we've been crushing on Girlfriend for weeks. Now that the show has officially had its world premiere, we're sharing the love -- and so are the critics!
Here's a sampling of what they had to say. Click on the links to read the full reviews.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
"Beguiling... Love is in the air at Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage. Throbbing teen hormones burst through the power-guitar chords and yearning anticipation trembles in the lyrics of Matthew Sweet's songs. The flayed-skin raw nerves of adolescent insecurity and the awkwardness of first romance inform every glance, gesture and warbled note in the performances of Ryder Bach and Jason Hite... It's a very different, much more intimate musical than the Rep's previous two, Stew's dynamic, art-rock Passing Strange and the extra-high-powered American Idiot, both of which moved to Broadway. Author, vocal arranger and co-orchestrator Todd Almond uses the melodic rock ballads and mood of Sweet's 1991 album, Girlfriend, to craft a gentle, heartfelt, two-character chamber musical that celebrates the pain and joy of first love between gay teens in early '90s small-town Nebraska... The music, two attractive actors, and music director, keyboard player and vocalist Julie Wolf's electrifying four-woman band make it an exhilarating joy."